Nick Smarrelli touts balance and flexibility. Yes, that includes running ultramarathons and endurance races, while he and his wife embrace careers with travel obligations and caring for their three young children. On the business side of the equation, Smarrelli says he’s a big believer in saying “yes”, especially espouses one of GadellNet’s core values in “no excuses” and has the company investing in the recruiting and training of top people in the technology solutions space. Hear how the organization strives to set itself apart and what it did to earn 98% employee retention last year.

Learn more at www.gadellnet.com.

That’s the name of the book – literally – as in Keep Your Customers: How to Stop Customer Turnover, Improve Retention and Get Lucrative Long-Term Loyalty. The launch came during the current pandemic, but it’s author Ali Cudby’s career journey and lessons learned that are so important today. She calls herself an “accidental entrepreneur” based on a bra-buying experience in London. Today, her company is Your Iconic Brand and her work involves clients in a number of industries. Spoiler alert: Don’t forget the little things and try to ensure the “ripple effects” are positive ones.

Learn more:
Your Iconic Brand (youriconicbrand.com)
Keep Your Customers book (www.amazon.com/Keep-Your-Customers-Retention-Lucrative/dp/1642796425)

He’s not the first to note this, but he says it well. “We really know how to build things here. Silicon Valley is very focused on connecting things. There’s a gap in the marketplace for taking those big, complex physical things (that we build) and connecting them to the application layer, with that software layer. This is a huge opportunity for us.” Rob Martens is chief innovation and design officer, among other roles, for Allegion. His job involves taking the door and security functions that have been part of the company for more than 100 years and “futuring” their applications. The Allegion Ventures venture capital firm, the new Pin & Tumbler Studio and more are part of the equation.

Learn more:
Allegion (https://www.allegion.com/corp/en/index.html)
Allegion Ventures (https://www.allegion.com/corp/en/ventures.html)
Pin & Tumbler Studio (https://pinandtumbler.com)

At age 28, Max Brickman is managing director of Heartland Ventures, a South Bend-based venture capital fund looking to connect Midwestern business strengths with coastal technologies. He founded his first successful business at age 15 and led two more start-ups while a student at Indiana University. Thus, he brings entrepreneurial experience of his own to his company’s efforts. It’s a somewhat unique approach that Heartland takes. Max explains how it works, why he remains bullish on Indiana and the Midwest, and what sees in the months and years ahead. Learn more at www.heartlandvc.com

Ronald Rochon terms the University of Southern Indiana campus on the west side of Evansville as a “hidden gem.” Beyond the aesthetic beauty, he says visitors will see an “immediate approach in how people respond to one another. We are a campus of choice, a campus of care and a campus of compassion. I love this place.” Rochon notes USI is home to many first-generation students and large numbers that come from Indiana. While the goal is to prepare them to achieve on a global basis, a significant majority makes the determination to stay close to home in our state. Learn more at www.usi.edu.

Wabash College provides what President Gregory Hess calls an “intentionally intimate liberal arts experience.” It is one of only a handful of all-male higher education institutions remaining in the country – a status it is safe to say is not going to change. Hess says a clear mission with a focus on excellence of students allows the college to make a difference. It also prompts alumni to give back at historic levels and in many ways, including a formal network for finding students/graduates a place to stay if in a new community for a job interview. Find out what class Hess loves to teach, his take on the passion for football and other sports on campus and beyond, his favorite athletic teams and his goals moving forward. (Note: After our podcast recording and before its release, Hess announced his departure from Wabash at the end of the current academic year for a position as CEO of IES Abroad, providing study abroad and internship programs). Learn more at www.wabash.edu.

Indiana State University President Deborah Curtis doesn’t think the college residential campus will ever go away, but acknowledges that the growing “some college, no degree” market requires a pivot in serving those students. ISU boasts unique programs ranging from packaging engineering technology (the only accredited program in the nation) and construction management to insurance/risk management and RN to BSN (for nurses). Curtis discusses the large percentage of students who come from – and remain in – the state. “Our mission is to serve the workforce needs of Indiana,” she says. She focuses on enrollment, communications and fundraising and identifies her two favorite days of the year. Learn more at www.indstate.edu.

If you’re experiencing challenges finding the workers you need – and who isn’t – you certainly realize that simply “complaining” about the lack of talent isn’t going to get the job done. Part of the longer-term play is reaching out directly to students to educate them about careers, including in the trades. Holly Ward of Irving Materials Inc. (aka the “Rock Lady”) and Jesse Johnson of Metal Supermarkets are going above the norm. They passionately advocate for career opportunities in the rock/materials industries and the welding profession. They visit with students; they donate materials; they help schools and teachers meet their needs. Most of all, they provide a path to career happiness for many – and convince a few parents along the way. Learn more:

Irving Materials Inc. (www.irvmat.com)
Metal Supermarkets (west Indianapolis location now open): (www.metalsupermarkets.com/indianapolis-east)

Modesty is a good thing – most of the time. One of the exceptions might be when it comes to “selling” Indiana to those who might not be as familiar with the many attributes the state has to offer. We’re not going to recount those many qualities today – you know what they are. Chamber President Kevin Brinegar will share the journey, however, that has propelled Indiana from economic depths in the early 2000s to a Midwest leader and national competitor as we launch into the 2020s. It’s that success that helps produce the many positive things we should be proclaiming across the country and beyond. Learn more:

Indiana Chamber: Top Policy Victories in the 2000s (https://www.indianachamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/DecadeVictories5.22.19.pdf)

Indiana Vision 2025 economic development action plan (https://www.indianachamber.com/news-resources/studies-reports/indiana-vision-2025/)

Yes, the start of a new decade puts us in a forward-thinking mode. But we couldn’t resist one more look back at Indiana business history in the current issue of BizVoice® magazine. To accompany those features and stories, we offer this conversation with Ray Boomhower, senior editor at the Indiana Historical Society Press and author of a soon-to-be 18 books. Among his many subjects: 1968 and Robert F. Kennedy’s impact in Indiana; business – from the auto industry to manufacturing’s wartime role; president Benjamin Harrison; and World War II heroes. He talks about the important role history plays in our society. Learn more:

Indiana Historical Society: www.indianahistory.org
Ray Boomhower: http://rayboomhower.blogspot.com